Three oldies-but-goodies from Nintendo's NES library make up this week's batch of releases.
Remember how everyone complained that Nintendo was holding back all the good stuff? After releasing some high-quality SNES games over the past few weeks, Nintendo starts this week with three of their own NES titles, including one that people have been clamoring for since the download service began. Which one is it? You should already know that by now.
This week's recommendations are from Mike Gamin and Jonathan Metts.
Kid Icarus
| System | Virtual Console - Nintendo Entertainment System |  |
| Cost | 500 Points | |
| Players | 1 | |
| Controllers | Wii Remote,Wii Nunchuk,GameCube | |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone | |
| Released | Aug 1987 |
Kid Icarus is one of the best games in Nintendo's catalog that has not received a bunch of sequels over the years. It is a platform game with a mythological theme where Pit, the winged hero, must make his way through several levels slaying enemies and collecting power-ups. It includes a mix of side and vertical scrolling areas, much like the first Metroid game, as they were developed using the same engine.
Most people who have played Kid Icarus before remember it for its difficulty first and foremost. It is a tough game. The main goal is to get from point A to point B, much like Super Mario Bros., but doing so in a rush can make the later levels even more difficult. Take your time and discover the several power-ups that will make the journey easier. Kid Icarus is a classic game that is still challenging today. It has a lot of content when compared to many of the other NES offerings on the Virtual Console, and the price is right. If you haven't played it, check it out. You may find yourself begging for a sequel along with the rest of the game's fans.
Ice Climber
| System | Virtual Console - Nintendo Entertainment System |  |
| Cost | 500 Points | |
| Players | 2 | |
| Controllers | Wii Remote,Wii Nunchuk,GameCube | |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone | |
| Released | Oct 1985 |
It only took this game to make Nana and Popo popular enough to appear in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Ice Climber is one of the original NES games from back in 1985. It's a simple action game where the goal is to climb to the top of a mountain. This is done by using a hammer to create holes that your character can jump through. Along the way Topis (little, white, Yeti-like enemies) will try and fill in all those holes you worked so hard to create. If you're too slow, the dreaded Speedo wearing polar bear will make an appearance and knock the stage up a level, possibly killing you.
The best feature of the game is the two player mode. It's up to the players as to how they want to treat this part of the game. Some will take their time, making sure the other is staying alive. Others will climb as fast as they possibly can, leaving the other to die if they don't keep up. This simple cooperative mode gave the game exceptional replay value back when it was released. While the game itself is quite shallow by today's standards, fans of retro gaming and co-op modes in general will find a lot of fun in this quirky title.
Kirby's Adventure
| System | Virtual Console - Nintendo Entertainment System |  |
| Cost | 500 Points | |
| Players | 1 | |
| Controllers | Wii Remote,Wii Nunchuk,GameCube | |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone | |
| Released | May 01, 1993 |
This game, one of the more sophisticated platformers on the NES, marks the
debut of Kirby's copy technique. By inhaling, then swallowing certain
enemies, Kirby can gain over a dozen special abilities. This feature, now a
hallmark of the series, makes Kirby's Adventure a far more interesting game
than the original Game Boy title.
As with most Kirby games, this one is fairly easy but still fun to play
through. It can occasionally present a challenge if you go into a fight
with the wrong copy ability. There are also some basic puzzles and secret
rooms, mostly leading to extra lives you will never need. Aside from the
many action stages, there are several types of mini-games which you can play
between levels to earn even more 1ups. It's all presented through a hub
world that was snazzy for its time.
The graphics are surprisingly bland, with far less color than in later Kirby
games (he doesn't even look very pink!), but the animation is great, and
there are many distinct enemy types. This game plays perfectly with the Wii
Remote, so there's no need to plug in anything else to get your Kirby fix.
All in all, it's a fun game and a good value, being longer and more complex
than many NES games. Okay Nintendo, bring on Super Star!
Now that you're up to speed with this week's VC releases, it's about time we reveal the third code word in our Valentine's Day Nintendogs DS Giveaway contest. If you get the four code words, you could win a Nintendo DS Lite and a copy of Nintendogs: Dalmation and Friends. You can find the code words in select Nintendo World Report articles and and during episodes of Radio Free Nintendo, so make sure you get 'em all. We'll open our entry form on Wednesday, February 14 so you can submit your entry, so look out for that.
The third code word in the NWR Valentine's Day Nintendogs DS Giveaway contest is: fetch
Good luck!
